A CRITIC AT LARGE
cough otherwise than thus'.Ach! Euch!
Auch!" "Alice in Wonderland" and
"Through the Looking-Glass" are de-
scriptions of the new world in which
people are trying to make ideas do the
work of expenence.
In fact, Carroll never really wrote
" " " J bb ky " d
nonsense -save a erwoc , an
even that gets eXplained by Humpty
Dumpty. Everyone's ideas in the Looking
Glass world are not only sensible but
strictly logical: the White King's remark
about using hay as a palliative for faint-
ing ("I didn't say there was nothing bet-
ter," he says. "I said there was nothing
like it"); Humpty Dumpty's insistence
on the literalness of conversations; the
Hatter's riddle with no answer. Just by
casting these lines of pure reasoning,
Dodgson anticipated not just the shape
but many of the sounds of intellectual
fashions yet to come.
The flow of imagination and free-
form logic is irresistible, but Carroll also
sees its limits. 'We're all mad here," the
Cheshire Cat says, and they are. The
"Alice" books are about what happens
when you let thinking do away with
sense. What Dodgson saw as the cor-
rective to the folly of trying to live by
thought wasn't beautiful intuition or ir-
rational passion; it was the common
sense of a well-brought-up little girl
who sees things as they are. The books
are written from the point of view of the
dysfunctional intellectual-Dodgson
was one himself-but with an under-
standing that it is better to have a little
bit of real life than any amount of pure
reason. What makes the books so cheer-
ing is that Alice's common sense keeps
winning out; what makes them touch-
ing is that Dodgson understood that any
well-brought-up little girl was more
deeply dans Ie vrai than he would ever
be. Alice is that honest English "Hem!"
This, I think, helps to explain the
popularity of the "Alice" books, long af-
ter many of their references and jokes
have become antiquated. (Booksellers
say they are still among the strongest-
selling children's books.) The abstract
jokes don't appeal to children, but Alice
does, They don't identiJÿ with her con-
fusion; they identify with her con-
fidence. Even if you don't see the object
of the satire, the purpose is plain.
Grown-ups, who appreciate the para-
doxes, think they are getting the point;
....1Q.<'1I ;;
\I ,"
.. ,. , " '
"''- I l );"
j "
.... . "--. "',. ." j,
- \ ' ." . "
110.".
., ."..... I '1 . .
.r&......
:, :,' <'''í *
'
"'\\ ,
: '\1.. :.; Of". ,..
. .!
. "
ì ,
';Î'
t[j-;: .1' '-
Call VIA Rail™ Canada to find out about the great
travel values during Off-Peak & Super Saver seasons.
Ask for operator #2 at 1-800-561-9181.
;<
/./
iIdhaus
..-;__..............v,
.. .. ........
..
...
<<?--f
\.
'E. CLJ\ss
,,'Ç . :/('>'"
SWISS
INTERNATIONAL
HOTELS
--:::: ,:,.1.,,:';;':;;;
'
: ' :';
:;P
' :
'
. :1'
. . ...
CH-7514 Sils.Maria 5 - 15
TeI.OI14182.45331.Fax45992 I
Maria + Felix Dietrich/Urs Kienberger ***** ENGADIN
II'IA@
VIA Rail Canada Inc.
.....
"(';
.
.
.,.
....v--""'
@RegisteredtrademarkofVIARaii Canada Inc. ™ Trademal1< of VIA Rail Canada Inc
. 5
3050
.
fnUUU.t11rUL lUI"J;> N.tt.U
'\ ,::):lUKY
PUBLISH YOUR BOOK NOW
Leading subsidy book publisher seeks manuscripts of
all types: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scholar1y, juve-
nile and religious works, etc. New authors welcomed.
Send for free 32-page illustrated booklet E-108
Vantage Press, 516 W 34 St., New York, NY 10001
'.;,'
!:''!:
''''1t
i
L
'"
::!'tI.1i
....,
r ..'
;'
3
. .JftJL .
'MÇI' 0 S " "'"
110 BLJ<;" . _ ..,J ,SUIt<> 114 M>..., '
. i"'
':h
'\..\J
,. . >::
,
89
,
Switzerland
/
An extraordinary hotel
with turn-of-the-century
charms and modern day comfort,
- Summer + winter resort
- 6 miles from St.Moritz
- Residenttrio
- Indoor pool and tennis / Sauna
- free day care / Golf nearby
Summer season: June 9th - Oct. 22nd
Winter season: Dec. 16th - April 21st
Personally managed by the owners
CANADA'S CLASSIC
TRAIN JOURNEY
, 1
E xperience the romance
of the rails and the
comforts of Silver & B1ue™
class while enjoying
Canada's most dramatic
scenery on your way to the
spectacular Rocky Mountains.
It's more than a
place to put your money.
It's a place to put
your values. J.....:Þ""'!; -'1t..
....
With faith in good, hard-working i
people, South Shore Bank lends mil-
ÍIIA
lions of dollars in inner city com- .""," í.
:
mUllitles. You can invest, too. {
Just open a South Shore .
CD, money market, or ,
checking account. !
r U
. South Shore Bank I
Chica,go . Member FDIC
II
800-669-7725 i:
<:"....- ..
:
PROSTATE CANCER
Qyou or ajriend or family member arefacing
prostate cancer, you do have options. For
FREE irý'ormation call Theragenics Cancer
['!formation Center today,
1-800-458-4372
If
DUKE
.
Safe, serious weight loss through lifestyle change.
Dief and Fifness Cenfer
800-36.2-8446
Duke Universily Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina